


Laughter Isn't Always the Best Medicine

by Zavoj



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Extended World, F/M, original fanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 07:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6792889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zavoj/pseuds/Zavoj
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Corentin Henry is NOT normal. And, as a newcomer, you are realizing this only after you've been sent to fetch him for a group dinner. Of course, your next question is: Is he even human?</p>
<p>Reader/Corentin<br/>One-Shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Laughter Isn't Always the Best Medicine

**Author's Note:**

> Honestly, while Corey is my favorite OC, I'm extremely nervous posting this on AO3. I have no idea how you guys will respond to "original fan fiction." By this, I mean that it is in the Harry Potter universe, but takes place in the modern day United States. None of the HP characters show up...
> 
> I got this idea from a discussion with a friend. I got a ton of crap from her for this idea because she said it's not possible, but I think it could be. So... no hate, please?

            He sat in the small, dark space that was the closet in his basement bedroom. The sunlight streaming in from the windows on the upper floors of the house were murder on his eyes, even though it wasn't a particularly sunny summer day. The muggle children outside were tossing a baseball in the cul-de-sac in front of the house and their shrieks of laughter pierced his ears and split his head. If only the children would stop, he might be able to actually enjoy a day of summer.

            Sometimes he longed for the dank, dark castle that was his high school. Even though the structure was only a few hundred years old, it was built enough like conventional castles such as Hogwarts to house him comfortably. But oh the agony of his fellow classmates' giggles in the back of the classroom! He could hardly ever focus on the lesson at hand, _especially_ since most of their merriment was poking fun at the outsider; at _him_.

            An unusually loud wail of laughter floated down the stairs and he groaned in agony. He was home alone; there was no one to go upstairs and tell the kids to be quieter. He certainly couldn't do it, what with the sunlight and laughter and open spaces. He'd lose it and when his step-father got home, there'd be concerned parents banging on the door wanting in. They'd have to move again. _No._ He would _not_ ruin another job for the man that was kind enough to house such a monster.

            Resolved to suffer the laughter of the children, he attempted to lessen the blow each merry note brought with it by turning on his music. The depressing wails and screams coming from the little box soothed his pounding head slightly as he was absorbed in the pain and misery of the music. The children's joyous screams were drowned out, and peacefully, he was able to drift off to sleep in the dreary corner of his closet in the darkest, coolest room in the house.

 

            "You want me to go fetch _who_?" you asked your new acquaintances.

            "Corentin Henry. He lives in town, too," one of the girls giggled happily.

            "And bring him back here for dinner. Like, around seven or eight," another added, smiling.

            The group of girls was elated to have found a new toy. You were a newcomer, and had just moved into town about a week ago. However, Mae's parents had introduced the group to you so that you would enter Cowboy Country Magic School [1] with friends. As a transfer student about to enter your sixth year, most cliques had already been formed at the school, so finding one over the summer was essential.

            "Why?" you pressed. You desperately wanted to be friends with this group of girls, but knocking on a total stranger's door didn't sound all that appealing.

            "He's a seventh year at CC, and he's uber hot," Mae informed you, the newcomer, twirling a bit of her auburn hair between two fingers.

            "He's more than hot, Mae. He's so sexy I want a taste~," Sarah, Mae's second in command, replied, not even attempting to hide the lust that manifested in her eyes.

            "Why don't we go get him now, then?" you queried, watching the leader of the group.

            "Because Corey has a slight case of _phengophobia_. Duh!" one of Mae's cronies snipped, giving you a look that said you were the stupidest person in the world.

            "Excuse me?"

            "Corey dearest is afraid of sunshine. That's why we're not going to have dinner with him until seven or eight. The sun will hopefully be low enough that he'll come outside," Mae explained.

            "And how am I supposed to coax him out of his house when I'm a complete and total stranger? Especially to go to dinner with a bunch of juniors?"

            "Tut, tut, (Name). You've been enrolled in too many muggle schools. We're sixth years, not _juniors_. And some of his friends will be there, too. Tell him that Zak, Shane, and Nathan are coming."

            "So, what happens if I can't get him out of the house?"

            "Just call one of us and we'll come to help," Mae said through a small smirk. Her eyes met each of the other girls' in turn save yours, and the expression said ' _this is going to be fun.'_

            "Okay. Hey, can we hit the wizarding mall now?" you asked as you watched a person disappear into a large, indiscriminant warehouse.

            "Naw. The only good one is in Denver, and that's a day away by car." Mae waved the idea off, sat back in her chair, and sipped on her blended coffee.

            "And the floo powder nets are down, too," another girl added.

            "What about that one over there?" You pointed to the warehouse.

            "That only stocks school supplies. So unless you're looking for toad's blood to do your summer potions assignment, don't bother."

            "Oh." You looked over at the building again. It was odd for there not to be a shopping center nearby with magical merchandise. The east coast had been simply brimming with them, as had the west coast. But, the country was a large place, and this town was fairly far away from the school you'd be attending in the fall.

            "You never told us, what NEWT classes are you taking?" Mae cocked her head slightly. It was a good opportunity to gauge the usefulness of the new transfer student, in other words, you.

 

            You found yourself following the animated directions on the parchment that Mae had drawn for you on how to get to Corentin's house. Your cell phone buzzed once, and you glanced down at it. The message was from your best friend in (Town), where you had attended last attended school: _How u like WY?_

            The girl was a muggle, but a sweet one that never asked questions about your odd school schedule. The combined magical-muggle high school wasn't an oddity in America, but it wasn't the norm, either. Unfortunately, now that you were in need of a standard set of magical courses, you couldn't stay at that high school, so your parents moved. Again. You'd attended your freshman and sophomore years at the same school, but before that, it was a different school every year. Or at least, that's what it'd felt like.

            Closing the phone without replying, you marched onwards, toward this seventh year's house. You were going to keep these friends for your last two years of schooling. You needed them. Cowboy Country was a big school, and navigation would be almost impossible without the aid of friends.

 

            When the doorbell rang, he didn't know quite what to expect. His step-father was home, so he didn't have to answer the door and deal with whatever visitor was there. The only three people who would come to visit him were otherwise engaged for the evening, so his first thought was a date for his step-father. The poor man was lonely with only the child of his late wife to keep him company. And what company he was, always hiding in the basement during the summer.

            The murmured echoes of the conversation taking place at the door were barely audible as he emerged from the nest he'd spent the day in. The digital display on his alarm clock read six o'clock; the sun would be on its decent from the sky. His stomach growled softly as he put on a pair of jeans and ascended the stairs. He paused at the top and examined the light filtering through the gap between the bottom of the door and the floor. It was still fairly light out, meaning the sun hadn't gone down as much as he would have liked. He contemplated returning back to the comforting darkness of the basement, but his stomach gave another growl, and the food was in the kitchen, which was on the main floor. Absently, he noted that the conversation was still taking place as he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.

 

            "He's not feeling well."

            "Please, his friends sent me to-" You paused in your discussion with Corentin's father as a door behind him opened. A tall, lean, shirtless man appeared. His black hair was very disheveled, as if he'd just woken up, which was entirely possible from what Mae had told you. His jeans sat low on his hips which revealed most of his unblemished pale skin save for an X shaped scar over his heart like he'd been stabbed several times. He looked over at you and his father, revealing iridescent purple eyes. They weren't human, but they were enchanting nonetheless. Sarah had been right, you thought absently, he was gorgeous.

            "Who's this?" His voice was faint, distant, and resonated through the whole room, sending a shiver down your spine.

            "Says Zak and them sent her to 'fetch' you for dinner," his father said.

            You composed yourself and looked away from the younger man. "No, Mae and Sarah asked me to-"

            "Get out." The roar came from the father.

            "I don't understand. They said Corentin would want to come."

            "Want to come?" This time, it was Corentin himself who spoke after a bitter laugh. "Want to come? So they can humiliate me? Laugh at me? Call me a freak?" The young man seemed to fill the room all of a sudden and you took a step back out of fear.

            "I'm sorry, I didn't..." you trailed off as an irrational fear of this boy consumed you. His otherworldly eyes glowed menacingly as he watched you. An image of yourself standing lost in the middle of Cowboy Country flashed through your mind. He was mad at you for who knew why, but if you couldn't get him to come, you had no doubt it'd be a step in the wrong direction concerning your new friends.

            "You're shallow." Suddenly, the overbearing presence evaporated and Corentin turned his back to the open door.   

            "Excuse me?" you asked, offended.

            He looked at you over his shoulder, one glowing purple eye locking with your (color) ones with a menacing glint. "You heard me."

            "Okay. Why am I shallow?" you demanded, crossing your arms. How could he get off making those accusations of people he knew nothing about?

            "You fear being alone at school next year. It's the only reason you're here," he whispered before disappearing into the next room.

            You glanced over where his father had been, about to ask another question, but the man was gone.

            Not ready to accept the accusation Corentin had thrown your way, you closed the front door and pursued him into the next room.

            "What? Me reading your fears wasn't freaky enough for you?" Corentin remarked coldly around a bite of pastry. He was lounging against the counter, and you noticed that he was wearing a thin silver chain that sparkled with the light of spells.

            "You... you read my mind?" you asked, taken aback. You were very efficient at Occlumency and hadn't felt anyone probing your mind.

 

            Corentin looked at the intruder out of the corner of his eye. You had ramped up the defenses on your mind, but that would have no effect against his abilities. You weren't afraid of anything at the moment, although he could sense the tension and caution you were throwing his way.

            He sighed heavily and turned so he was facing you, even though it put him in the direct line of the setting sun. Absently he fingered the enchanted chain around his neck. "No. I read your _fears_. Don't you listen?"

            "How?" you asked, cocking your head to one side. He watched your hand move to the top of your jeans and grab the handle of a wand. You had finally concluded that he was something to fear.

            Corentin shook his head and stepped out of the ray of sunlight. You turned towards the light. "You're not afraid of sunlight, are you?" you asked suspiciously.

            "Perceptive," he laughed humorlessly. "And perception is all it takes to read you."

            Your eyes narrowed in suspicion, but you dropped the matter.

            "Why won't you come to dinner with us?"

            Corentin smiled wryly. The girls were toying with you, this newcomer. They knew he wouldn't accept the invitation and had probably wanted to scare you. But you were more afraid of being alone. How strange to think that you preferred the company of those catty girls to sweet solitude. "I don't feel well."

            You gave a snort of laughter, causing Corentin to cringe at the stab of pain the noise caused. After assessing him, the fear he sensed coming from you melted away once again. "You look fine."

            The wave of fear of disapproval surprised him. You were tiring with your quickly changing fears. You obviously thought about things very quickly before moving on to the next topic. But this current fear was rather comforting in a way. You were afraid he'd disapprove of you. Even though his father would have loved to feed on such as easy fear to amplify and manipulate, fears weren't his thing. Besides, it was not an uncommon fear for teenage girls to have, but where it was directed did surprise him greatly. "Looks can be deceiving."

            His cell phone buzzed in his pocket just then.

 

            You didn't realize you were holding your breath until the boy's purple eyes broke away from your own. He'd been smiling slightly, like he was amused by something when his attention was directed elsewhere. A black iPhone was extricated from his front pocket, and you felt the envy rolling off. American witches and wizards preferred more sophisticated technology, but such spendy toys were still not common among the magical community. You'd always wanted to play with one, but none of your friends (magical or muggle) had ever owned one.

            After fiddling with the phone for several minutes, Corentin let out a sigh and looked your way. His hand had again returned to playing with the silver chain around his neck. The fight and amusement were both gone when he finally spoke. "Nathan says the dinner's legit. Let me put a shirt on and we'll head out."

            As Corentin left the kitchen, you, not wanting to be left standing in a stranger's kitchen, followed. He glanced over his shoulder at you before opening the door he'd emerged from and disappearing into total darkness. "I'd advise you to stay where you can see. People tend to trip over things down here."

            "Oh..." You stood in the doorway looking into the gloom. Your night vision was decent, but not stellar, so the thought of possible injury left you standing at the top of the stairs.

 

            Corentin returned to his room. He could tell you hadn't followed him because he could no longer sense your fears. He sat down on the bed and looked down at his phone again. Both Nathan and Zak had sent him text messages begging him to come to dinner. Neither had mentioned you, the stranger standing at the top of the stairs, but if Mae and Sarah had sent you that was no surprise. Another text caused the phone to buzz and he glanced at it to discover that Shane was also endorsing this meal invitation. He shot them all the same question: _Are Sarah and Mae coming?_

            Slowly, awaiting a reply from someone, he made his way to the closet. In the dim light put off by the digital alarm clock, he selected appropriate attire and went to sit on his bed until his phone buzzed again. It was Zak, who was currently dating Mae: _She promises to behave. And I've got your back._

            Reluctantly, Corentin retraced his steps back up the stairs.

 

            A thrill of fear ran down your spine when two glowing purple eyes appeared at the bottom of the stairs. "Sure you want to go to dinner with me? I scare you." Your heart settled down only a little at Corentin's comment. You realized suddenly that you weren't even sure that this man _was_ Corentin, you'd simply assumed... but you had no knowledge of whether he had brothers.

            When his face was finally visible in the dim light still put out by the dying sun, he smiled slightly. "We haven't been properly introduced. Corentin Henry."

            You swallowed stiffly. His smile, like everything else about him, was stunning. "(Name) (LastName)."

            He stopped a step below you and looked at you questioningly while you examined the tight brown t-shirt he had put on. Oddly enough, it made his skin look healthier, livelier, and less vampire. You took his extended hand and shook it before catching yourself staring at his face again.

            "Shall we?" he asked, gesturing back up the stairs.

 

            Corentin was very amused by you, the girl sitting in the passenger seat of his car. You'd told him where to go, even though all three of his friends had already relayed the location, and were sitting in silence watching street signs go by. The same fear of disapproval or embarrassment rolled off you in light ripples, tickling his skin every time it hit. It was not, by any means, a very deep fear, but simply superficial, unlike the similar fears of other girls. As he often did, Corentin wondered what had led to your fear of disapproval from him, because (from what he could tell of this little fear) it did not extend to too many other people; it would have had deeper roots and stronger currents if it applied to more than a select few.

            "Do witches and wizards often get drivers licenses here?" you asked out of the blue.

            Corentin gave you a sideways glance. Your face was turned towards him, genuine curiosity shined in your (color) eyes. "Yeah. Why?"

            "On the east and west coasts, magical folk don't get drivers licenses very often."

            "Well, there're certainly better transportation systems in bigger cities."

            You nodded absently and lapsed back into silence. Corentin much preferred it to constantly answering questions, and from what he could tell, you weren't too bothered by the silence either.

 

            When you two arrived at the restaurant, the sun had almost completed its disappearing act. Corentin sighed in relief; the light that was causing the constant dull pounding in the back of his head would soon be gone, and the softer, less offending light of the moon would illuminate the night. He was not, however, looking forward to entering the restaurant, because it was a Friday night in the summer, which meant a large amount of merry chatter. Hopefully one of his friends had made the dinner reservation and remembered to select a table outside where it wasn't quite so suffocating.

            You watched him apprehensively when the lock to your door didn't open. He made no move to get out of the car while he examined the parking lot closely to make sure that his friends' cars were indeed there, and it hadn't just been Mae and Sarah weaving silly little technology spells. After spotting all three cars, Corentin relaxed a little and unlocked his door.

 

            The car was a piece of shit for sure, you decided. No matter what you did, the door did not unlock. Heat rose to your cheeks in embarrassment as Corentin unlocked his door and exited with ease. So much for trying not to look like an idiot in front of him.

 

            Corentin smiled again as you became more frantic in your attempts at opening the door. He should have told you that it could only be unlocked with the key from the outside, even though it automatically locked when the car started, but he was enjoying the mounting fear and embarrassment that was beginning to roll off of you as you fidgeted with the lock while sitting in his car.

            You looked up at him when he stopped in front of the passenger door and inserted the key. The lock clicked and you nearly knocked him over in your haste to get out of the infernal muggle contraption.

            "Should have told you it doesn't unlock without a key or spell," Corentin stated lazily as he locked the car. Your cheeks were flushed in embarrassment, and the fear that he would think you were an idiot boggled his mind when it hit him again. Why did you care so much what he thought about you?

            "Oh," was all you could muster as you entered the restaurant. As predicted, the laughter from different tables hit him like a train as soon as the doors swung open.

            "Are you okay?" you asked, noticing the sudden change in expression on Corentin's face.

            "Just a migraine," Corentin lied fluidly. It was such a practiced lie he almost believed what he said, himself.

            With no reason to distrust the answer, you helped him to a seat. "Wait here while I find out where they're sitting." You made sure he was in the chair before rushing off to find the group.

            When you returned, Corentin didn't think he could stand by himself anymore because of the pain. Why had his friends insisted upon dinner when they knew what an ordeal it was for him? After a month of solitude, he was not used to crowds anymore, especially not at mealtime, when they tended to be at their most jovial.

 

            "They're sitting outside," you informed Corentin upon your return. You couldn't help but worry a little due to the intense look of pain on his face. "Are you sure you don't want to just go home?"

            Corentin gave a weak laugh. "I've made it this far already. I might as well stay for dinner, (Name)." He stood and almost lost his balance. You could tell he was about to topple over when those purple eyes crossed. Rushing forward, you put one of his arms over your shoulder, and he instantly acquiesced to your help, leaning heavily on you as the pair of you made your way outside.

            Color coming to your cheeks again, you noticed just how warm Corentin's body was as he leaned on you. From his pale complexion, you'd assumed he'd have been fairly cold, especially considering how unsteady he was on his feet at the moment.

 

            As soon as you were outside, Corentin felt much better, and took most of his weight off of you. "You didn't have to help me," he told the top of your head.

            "Don't be silly. You were going to collapse. Of course I had to help you."

            So there was a difference between you and the other girls; any one of them would have watched him fall to the floor writhing in agony, pointed, and laughed at him.

            "Corey, my man! Not lookin' so hot," Zak said, coming to support him from the other side. "And this must be the lovely (Name) I've heard so much about from my Miss Mae! Zak Shaw at your service señorita~!" He grinned widely at you.

            "Can we get him into a chair before we do introductions?" you asked, glancing worriedly up at Corentin.

            Personally, Corentin thought Zak's antics were generally amusing and didn't find his laughter too painful to endure, but he was extremely grateful for your request.

            "Sure, sure. Sorry about that dude, if we'd known how busy it was, we'd have picked a different spot."

            Corentin shook his head and took another deep breath. The pain was receding as the laughter died down. All was quiet at the table where his other two friends and several girls sat. Once in a chair, Corentin smiled weakly. "Don't quit chatting on my account."

            Wearily, conversation picked back up, but jokes and funny stories were avoided like the plague. He was grateful, really, but it always struck him as odd that they'd even want him around when so many restrictions accompanied him.

            All throughout dinner, you didn't move far from his side, nor did you stop giving him worried glances every now and again.

            "So tell me (Name), where did you go to school last?" Zak asked.

            "A combined high school in (State)."

            "And you still managed to pass all your OWLs? You must be a genius!"

            You laughed softly, and all eyes turned to watch Corentin intensely. The sound hurt a little bit, but it was nothing compared to the din of the restaurant that still haunted his recent memory. "It's not anything special. Most students pass at least half their OWLs."

            "So why didn't you stay there?"

            "Don't offer NEWT level classes."

            The conversation carried on in much the same manner all night, and by the end, Corentin was actually feeling much better.  It was difficult to go out in public, but his friends had picked the farthest table from the restaurant, and as promised, kept their girlfriends in check. However, as the night wore on, it became more and more obvious that you were oblivious to what Corentin really was.

 

            "Shall I drive you home?" Corentin asked after dinner had ended.

            "You're not going to go play pool with the rest of them?" you replied.

            "Naw. But I'm sure Zak'll give you a ride if you want to go with them." Corentin nodded behind you, and, turning, you saw Zak and Mae sitting on the trunk of Zak's car side by side holding hands, watching you.

            Honestly, you weren't all too fond of Mae, despite the decision to become friends, but the prospect of riding home with Corentin appealed to you far more than you were comfortable with. After several minutes of deliberating, you decided to go with Corentin (if only so you could stare at him inconspicuously from the passenger's seat).

            "Type in your address and give me directions." Corentin handed his iPhone to you, which was already set to give directions.

            "What makes you think I don't know how to get home?" you asked indignantly.

            Corentin gave you an amused look, which caused your pulse to speed up. What was the matter with you? So you'd never been in one place long enough to have a boyfriend, or really crush hard on any boy, but were you so pathetic that someone as handsome as Corentin made your heart race just from a look?

            "Well, _can_ you give me directions?"

            "No... but it would have been nice if you'd asked me first," you admitted, before typing your address into the iPhone. You wanted to play with it more, but didn't want to make Corentin mad, so you resisted the temptation.

 

            Once outside your house, Corentin had to get out and unlock your door, only this time, you didn't panic.

            "Thank you for driving me home. You didn't have to."

            "I know. But you never know what's lurking out there in the dark."

            The sane response of a shiver and wave of fear for the unknown came from you.

            "Well, thanks again." You ran up the front steps of your house, and Corentin felt the sudden change to a deeply seeded fear that assailed his senses even from the distance between the two of you: a fear of your parents; more specifically, a fear of your parents' fights. And then he heard the yelling.

            You had paused on the top step, your hand stretched out toward the door. Another angry scream could be heard from within the house and he saw you retract your hand from the doorknob and turn to leave. You noticed him and grinned weakly. "This is normal. Don't worry, you can go. Thanks again, Corentin."

            "Corey," he corrected automatically.

            "Corey. Right." You gave a nervous laugh and reached for the doorknob again. Another wave of fear reached him as yet another raised voice could be heard from within.

            "You want to crash at my place?" Corentin had been the refuge for friends many times over the summers, because a lot can change while kids are away at school for a year. It wouldn't be the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. His step-father wouldn't mind, because he knew the inner workings of families and the horrors arguments could lead to.

            "Excuse me?" You sounded indignant to him. Raising his hands to indicate nothing was intended by the comment, Corey went around to the driver's side of the car and got in.

            He felt your fear grow stronger before he heard you. "Wait."

            Glancing in your direction to make sure you weren't playing with him, he nodded. "Get in."

 

            "My parents weren't always like this," you chattered nervously. You hadn't shut up about it since you'd left the house. All that came out were excuses.

            "Hey, it's none of my business. My step-father and I let people crash with us when things aren't right. That's all. You don't have to explain yourself to me."

            Your fears evaporated. You'd been worried he'd judge you for running away tail between your legs, and for taking him up on his offer even though you'd known his for less than a day. You didn't want him to think less of you for sleeping over at a boy's house you'd just met. But the pressure for explanations had been lifted. "Thank you Corey."

            He glanced at you, his purple eyes amused. "You keep saying that, and I don't get why."

            "What do you mean?"

            "I've let plenty of people crash at my place, but not one of 'em said thank you. It's like you're trying to make up for that."

            "Oh..." Your cheeks began to heat up again and you quit talking.

 

            When you reached his house, Corentin sighed. His step-father had company of several varieties that night, which meant the couch was occupied. Just to make sure, he checked, but his original analysis had been correct. That left only the bed in the basement, which he usually slept in. Corey grabbed a dim flashlight from the kitchen before returning to you, who stood awkwardly in front of the basement stairs, looking like you were considering returning to your house.

            He handed you the flashlight. "Let me clean up a little first. I'll come back and get you when I don't think you'll trip."

            "Can't I just use this?"

            "I'd prefer you didn't. It hurts my eyes almost as much as sunlight."

            Dutifully, you waited until Corentin returned a good twenty minutes later. From what he could sense, you were apprehensive about going downstairs with him, but the fear of your parents still lingered, and part of him reveled in the strength of that fear. It felt so marvelous bouncing off his skin in thunderous waves.

            "I'm not going to hurt you (Name)."

            "Would you stop doing that!" you snapped irritably.

           "What?"

            "Sensing what I'm thinking."

            "I told you, I can't read your mind."

            "Well whatever it is you're doing, stop."

            Corentin chuckled to himself. "If I could, I would. But I'll stop verbalizing it. Deal?"

            "Deal," you conceded after a minute of careful deliberation.

            "Good. Now take my hand. It's darker down there than up here. You probably won't be able to see."

            Once you began descending the stairs, your grip on his hand tightened. A small part of you was still afraid of what might be lurking in the dark. Corentin had to resist the urge to tease you about such a petty child's fear as he led you to the bed you'd be sleeping on.

            "If you need anything, just ask. If you want to turn on the flashlight, please warn me first." Corentin let go of your hand and headed over to the closet where his little nest was.

            "Corey?"

            "Yes?"

             "I want to turn on the flashlight."

 

            It seemed like such a silly thing to have to warn him about, you thought, but then you remembered that Mae had said he was afraid of light, and how he'd stepped out of the sunlight in the kitchen earlier that day.

            "Go ahead."

            Clutching the flashlight like a lifeline, you turned it on. The beam shown on a bed with clean sheets, allowing a little peace of mind. You turned slowly, taking in what was obviously a normally inhabited bedroom, until it landed on Corentin's feet.

            "Is that where you're sleeping?"

            In the peripheral light from the beam, you could see that his eyes were shut tight, but figured he'd know you were talking about the wad of blankets on the floor.

            "Yes."

            "I can't take your bed, Corey." You turned back to survey the bed, your cheeks flushing as an image of the two of you sleeping together in the same bed flashed through your mind.

            "It's fine, really."

            "No, it's not." You swallowed. You couldn't believe you were about to offer. "The bed's big enough. You can sleep on it with me."

 

            He couldn't believe you'd just suggested what you did. Of course _he_ didn't mind, but from the mixed fears rolling off of you, he could tell you minded, and more than just a little.

            "I don't want to make you more uncomfortable."

            "No, no, it's fine. Really. I won't be able to sleep if I know you're sleeping of _that_."

            "Well then, could you shut off that light?"

            The light turned off, and Corentin could see again. He worked his way around to the far side of the bed and lay down. He felt the mattress move as you positioned yourself as far away from him as you could without falling off the edge.

            "Good night Corey," you whispered.

            With an amused smile, Corentin replied, "Good night (Name)."

 

            You didn't want to wake up. You were snuggled up next to something nice and warm... Your eyes snapped open in alarm to gaze at an X shaped scar on pale skin. Your face heating up almost instantly, you noted that Corentin had an arm around your waist and his chin rested on top of your head. You were extremely comfortable and hadn't slept better since before high school.

            The room was very dimly lit, with the only light coming in through an open door. Somewhere in the house, you heard a door open and footsteps descending. Scared of what might be making those footsteps, and what it might say if you were discovered awake, you closed your eyes and pretended to go back to sleep, burying your face in Corentin's chest.

 

            Corentin furrowed his brow in confusion. A spike in fear had aroused him from slumber. He became aware that there was something between his arms and realized that it was you, curled up and resting fairly comfortably. His first thought was that you had woken up and were afraid of him, but as he grew more aware, he realized that the fear was of his step-father, who was now making breakfast in the kitchen. You were pretending to be asleep so you wouldn't have to confront him alone.

            "Hey," Corentin whispered to you snuggled up to him. When there was no response, he continued, "He's not going to yell at you. It's okay."

            Your face emerged from his chest and gave him an annoyed glare. "I thought I told you not to do that!" you whispered.

            "Sorry, but it woke me up. I can't go back to sleep when there're knots forming in your chest," Corentin informed you.

            "What do you mean?"

            "I can't just turn off sensing your fears, as much as I might want to." Corentin noted that there was no fear of being so close to him, even though you didn't seem too happy about his ability to read your fears.

            "Why not?"

            "Genetics."

            "Well that sucks. I suppose this is supposed to help suppress those genetics?" You tugged lightly on the charmed chain.

            Corentin nodded, looking down at you with a question in his eyes. Had you figured out what he was? Did you have any inkling of what you were snuggled up against?

            "There aren't very many people with lineage like yours, you know. I only figured it out because I've done so many reports on them and their interactions with humans. And only just now. I suppose your mother died in child birth?"

            Corentin chuckled again. You were a very odd girl. "And you're not afraid of me for it?"

            "Maybe I would have been if I'd been told before I met you. But you're a good person Corey." You pulled away and sat up. "No matter what your father was."

            He sat up as well and looked at you, hard, trying to find any inkling of fear associated with the realization of what he was. He laughed.

            "What?"

            "You're afraid of my reading your fears!"

            You smacked his bare shoulder, annoyed. "I thought I said to stop doing that!"

            "But why would that scare you?"

            You turned away to hide the color rising to your cheeks. "Maybe I don't want you to know."

            Just then, another door opened and footsteps descended the stairs. Your fear spiked again, causing Corentin to roll his eyes and pat the section of bed you had just vacated. You lay down again and closed your eyes, pretending to be sleeping.

            His step-father entered the dim room with a tray of food. "Oh hello. Isn't that that girl from yesterday?"

            Corentin nodded.

            "Well, that was fast. What'd you do? Tell her you'd kill her if she didn't sleep with you?"

            Corentin scowled at his step-father. He knew the man was just joking, but he didn't appreciate the humor since you were awake. "Her parents were fighting, so I offered to let her stay here."

            "Them's the pits. How bad was it? Do I need to call an intervention?"

            "I could feel it from 50 yards away."

            "That far? Must be really bad."

            "I wouldn't do anything unless she makes a habit of sleeping over."

            His step-father nodded. "I'll go get another plate for her. Feed her when she wakes and make sure she knows she can stay over whenever she needs to." He looked down at you, whose fear of the man had decreased exponentially from listening to the conversation. Your heart rate had just about returned to normal. "I'd say she can have the couch next time, but she looks pretty damn comfortable next to you."

            Corentin smiled down at you still pretending to sleep and tucked a strand of (color) hair behind your ear.

            "Does she know?"

            "Yeah."

            "And she's still sleeping like a baby next to you? She's a keeper, Corey. Won't find very many like her."

            Corentin nodded slightly. "Thanks Mike."

            "No problem kid. Just keep it clean when you get that far."

            He could feel your heart rate pick up speed against his chest as his step-father winked at him.

            "Get out of here you old pervert."

            "I'll go get that extra plate then."

            Corentin waved his step-father from the room. The older man waited until he was up the stairs before bursting into a fit of chuckles.

            You opened one eye and gazed up at Corentin. "Mom's husband?"

            "More like mom's son. He's such a child."

            You grinned and started giggling. Corentin felt the dull pain in the back of his head, and it must have shown on his face because you stopped, looking horrorstruck with the realization that your giggles were causing that look. "I'm so sorry! I didn't even think about it..."

            "Don't worry. It doesn't hurt much." Corentin lay back down, and started to play with your hair absently, staring at the ceiling. "Your parents going to be okay with you being MIA?"

            Your face paled considerably as the room filled with your fear.

            Corentin reached for his phone off the desk and handed it to you. "Give me the number and I'll call personally."

            "What are you going to tell them?" you asked as you punched in the number.

            "Hello Mrs. (LastName)? My name is Corentin Henry. I went to dinner with your daughter and her friends last night, but they left without her. Unfortunately, my car didn't have enough gas to make it all the way out to your house and back. I hope you don't mind, but I didn't want her walking all that distance in the dark so I let her sleep on my couch last night... She's still sleeping, but if you'd like to swing by and pick her up I can give you my address... No, no, it wasn't any trouble at all. Your daughter is a wonderful young lady... Yes, of course I can drive her home. The gas stations were closed already when we headed out or I wouldn't have... uhuh... uhuh... thank you. I'll let her know when she wakes up."

            "What?" you asked when he'd hung up.

            Corentin grinned at the worried look on your face. "You can play with my iPhone all you want."

            "No seriously," you pressed.

            "She's just glad you're safe."

            "Really? Can I still play with your iPhone, then?"

            "After breakfast. Get up you lazy bum."

**Author's Note:**

>  _[1] Cowboy Country Magic School_ \- often called 'CC' by attendees - is completely mine. It's part of a system of six American wizarding boarding schools I fabricated (and one I didn't) for a different fanfiction piece, and services students in the mountain standard timezone.  
>   
>  I would love to hear your theories on Corey's lineage, so drop me a line in the form of a review! :3


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